


Knife To The Heart

by akir4



Series: Knife To The Heart [1]
Category: No Fandom
Genre: Assassins & Hitmen, F/F, F/M, Italian Mafia, Love Triangles, Russian Mafia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:07:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26484649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akir4/pseuds/akir4
Summary: Signe has been polished to be an assassin ever since she was 8 years old. She showed some incredible results, so rising trough the ranks wasn't a problem for her. But she wanted more. She sought out a mentor trough the new Subordinate program. Who she got though, isn't exactly who she expected.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Female Character, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Knife To The Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965727
Kudos: 2





	1. Iota

**Author's Note:**

> Thus chapter contains descriptions of torture and drug usage. Read at your own discretion.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Signe has been polished to be an assassin ever since she was 8 years old. She showed some incredible results, so rising trough the ranks wasn't a problem for her. But she wanted more. She sought out a mentor trough the new Subordinate program. Who she got though, isn't exactly who she expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains descriptions of torture and drug usage. Read at your own discretion.

I've been alone since I can remember. 

I was relentlessly picked on by the other kids at the orphanage. They'd shame me for every part of myself, inside and out, so I grew up hating myself. I hated who I was and what I looked like. I never knew of different feelings other than hate. For everyone and everything, and myself, of course. 

To add on top of that, this orphanage wasn't your typical orphanage. These weird men would keep coming and take kids away, including me. The kids would always be absent for weeks and would return with cuts, bruises, wounds etc. Their limbs would always be covered in bandages. They looked miserable.  
I was one of the kids who would be taken away.  
They'd take us to this facility somewhere far away. It was dark and dirty. They'd make us eat, sleep and shit there. There were two rooms that we knew of. The second one was a broad, white studio. There were yellow stains on the walls and dust everywhere. Completely unlivable. They'd put us trough hellish training there for weeks at a time. 

1\. Resistance Training: This was sort of an umbrella term. They'd expose us to extreme temperatures, poison gas, days without food, sleep and water, electrocution, and extreme violence. They'd tie us up and beat us till there were multiple bones broken. There were at least 50 kids at a time and they'd beat us all. With both blunt and sharp objects. It was hell.  
2\. Poison Training: They'd inject us with all kinds of poisons. You would either die or survive. No in between. They'd feed us drugs and whatnot till we would pass out. Most kids ended up with hardcore addictions later on, and would die anyway.  
3\. The worst, isolation training. They'd lock us up alone in a pitch black room for days to weeks. Even food was rare so that they can reduce interaction. It felt like years inside there. At times I felt like I was going insane.

There were more of course, but these are the one I haven't repressed. It was a hellish 10 years. I was first taken away at 8 years old, and since I showed incredible results, they kept bringing me back. For the 10 years I kept training I remember I constantly wanted to die. I wanted to be hit so hard it suddenly stops, or the carbon monoxide to finally suffocate me, or the electricity to burn me to death, or the heroin to ruin my organs. Anything. Just so I can stop feeling this. So the pain can finally stop. But it never did. It kept going and going and going.... For 10 years.

When I turned 18, the orphanage kicked me out. It was then when I learnt why this was going on. The agency who hosted all of this brought me in and I've risen trough the ranks quite quickly. I worked here for two years now. And over the years I've heard various rumors and stories. Mostly about this one woman...  
She went under the name Iota. No one knew her real name, or anything about her really. She was kind of a myth. She was infamous for being a ruthless assassin. She'd spare no one. Apparently she loves to torture her victims if they weren't to speak. She was notorious for being a merciless, cold-blooded killer. But I couldn't help but think there was more to her. There has to be more.  
No one really knew what she looked like, since she was rarely at the Agency building. She was almost always out on a mission. This might change. Rumor goes, she applied to the subordinate program. The subordinate program is a new program where interns who joined in the last two years can get assigned a mentor. Both wannabe mentors and subordinates can apply. This doesn't mean everyone will be picked, though. They first choose the mentors and then the mentors go trough the applications and choose their subordinate. Then they submit their choice and their pick will be announced in 30 minutes at the main hall. I was just about to go actually.

I was walking trough the plain yet familiar hallways. I usually disappear into my thoughts while walking, but I was too nervous this time. I really wanted a mentor, since I had trouble making friends since I came here. I rarely talk to anyone so a mentor would really be a nice change.  
I walked into the main hall and the make-shift stage immediately caught my eye. There were 10 chairs aligned. So only 10 people get picked, huh... I stood to the side and waited for the event to start.  
Time went by fast and both the mentors and announcer arrived. I scanned the stage to see if I recognized anyone, and that's when someone caught my eye. A woman with long, black hair and pale skin. She had slated eyes with the deepest black color. They were almost enchanting. Her skin was perfect, like porcelain. Her body was covered by a long black trench coat. She looked completely uninterested, until our eyes met. She looked me up and down curiously before averting her gaze to a man standing to the side. She nodded her he'd towards me, signaling the man to look at me.  
The man had long-ish, messy brown hair with amber eyes. His bangs perfectly framed his face. He wore a white button up shirt with a dark vest over it, a choker and black slacks. He also wore a black trench coat, it had light lining and was hanging off his shoulders. He briefly looked at me and then back at the woman with a nod. Who are these people and what do they want with me? 

My trail of thoughts was interrupted by the announcer speaking up on the stage.  
"Good evening, everyone. I will keep this short, so when your name is announced please step on the stage." And then he started listing off names, some familiar some not. Every other name I was losing more and more hope.  
"...And last, but not least, Miss. Signe Hexum." The crowd started to disperse as I stepped onto the stage. The ten of us were aligned parallel to our possible mentors. By the same sequence we were called on we were told our mentors. 

Who my mentor is was obvious.  
I was left alone on the stage with the woman who looked at me earlier. I glanced to the side and saw that man still standing there, observing the stage.  
"And, Miss Hexum, your mentor will be Iota."


	2. A Drunken Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Signe, Iota and Marco go out for drinks and get to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains description of detailed sexual intercourse. Read at your own discretion.

Iota stood up, and her overwhelming presence swallowed me whole. She was tall and intimidating. Her trench coat dropped to her ankles and she walked over to me.   
"Iota. Pleasure doing business with you." She extended her hand. I shook it. It was cold and slim. A chill went down my spine. Everything about her was intimidating. Her face, look, tone...everything.  
"I'm Signe. Nice to meet you too." Our eyes met again. She had this cold, yet curious look in her eyes. I was helplessly enchanted by them. Not even a minute of knowing each other and she already has me wrapped around her finger. I guess this is what it means to be the highest ranked assassin.  
We walked down the stage and went to the man standing off to the side.   
"Signe, this is Marco. The person I trust the most."  
"Pleasure meeting you." He extended his hand.  
"The pleasure is all mine." I shook it.  
"So why don't we get to know each other over drinks?" She proposed. We all agreed and went out to a bar. The two of them brought me to their favorite bar. The Caravan. It was a small, yet cozy bar with a friendly feel to it. The three of us sat down on stools and ordered drinks.  
"So, Signe. Tell me about yourself."   
"Well...I'm 20 years old and I've been working here for 2 years now."  
"What field?"  
"Assassin."  
"My field, great. How do you like it?"  
"It's okay I guess. I kind of want to expand my field and do more things."  
"In what way?"  
"I want to improve my skills and better myself as an assassin."  
"I can help you with that. Perfect, anything else?" She seemed more laid back than before. It was unsettling.   
"I wanted to meet new people, it's getting boring to not talk to anyone."  
"Oh tell me about it. I pretty much only talk to Marco. But that's mostly because I don't like socializing."  
We continued to drink and talk late into the night. Marco didn't drink much since he was driving.

Hours later we parted ways, but apparently Iota had to walk the same route as me, so we walked together. Iota was extremely drunk. Much more than Marco and me.  
"Mm..Signe? Can I crash at yours? I don't think I can make it home alone.." And as drunk as I was, I didn't think much of it.  
We went to my apartment and she was already in the kitchen pouring us another drink. We talked and drunk for hours.  
"You probably heard the rumors about me, and they're all true. It's like I'm spiraling deeper into insanity with every mission. Killing isn't good for the soul, you know?" She laughed. I forced a laugh as well, but didn't know if I should laugh or not.  
"You know...I hate being an assassin. Yeah being skilled and whatnot is cool but... it really fucks with your mind. I became completely desensitized to it, and I sleep normally every night. That isn't normal for someone with a kill count over 1000, right? I'm completely numb most of the time, so I find outlets in drugs, sex, material things, anything just so I can feel something. I said most of the time for a reason. Sometimes....sometimes I get these horrible hallucinations of my victims. I can see and hear everything clearly, and the smell of blood would fill my nose. They're rare, but when they do happen, it's terrifying. Oh..I'm sorry for dragging this on. You probably don't care."  
"No, it's fine. And I do care. You're my new mentor, after all."

She looked me with teary eyes. She placed her hand on the small of my back and pulled me close. She brushed her lips against mine. I've never felt something softer. She slowly deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue in. She sat me on the kitchen counter, her tongue still in my mouth. She slid her hands under my shirt and took it off. She stopped to take in my body. She kissed my neck and collar bone, leaving marks everywhere. She was so damn good at it.   
She took off my pants and laid me down on the counter. She spread my legs and bent over my stomach. She traced her tongue down to the lining of my underwear. She teased the inside of my thighs by kissing and licking them. She took off my under wear and traced her fingers around it. She teased and rubbed everywhere except where I wanted her to.  
"P-Please..Iota.."  
"I can't hear you.."  
"Please, Iota!"  
"What do you want me to do?"  
"F-Fuck me, Iota!" She grinned and went between my legs.  
She licked me from beginning to end in one go. I moaned loudly.  
She continued at this for hours. We moved from the kitchen, the living room and eventually the bedroom

We woke up around the same time. She had this regretful look on her face.  
"Never speak of this to anyone."


	3. First Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Iota and Signe's first mission together. Will she be able to satisfy her mentors expectations?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains brief descriptions of sexual acts. Read at you own discretion.

"What? Why not?"  
"Because it ruins everything I've built, and I cannot afford more scandals and nasty rumors. If I find out you've mentioned this to anyone, I'll kill you with my own two hands. Understand?" I nodded my head.  
"Go get ready. We're leaving for a mission soon." She got up and left for the bathroom. It was all a daze. Nothing made sense. I suppose I'll ignore it for now. I left for the kitchen to grab some water. I had a terrible headache so hopefully this would help. Iota didn't take long in the bathroom. She came out fully dressed like nothing ever happened.  
Her long black hair was perfect, it melted into her clothes. She had a long black jumpsuit with a belt around her waist and thigh, holding pockets and weapons. She had knee-high boots that camouflaged into her suit. She had a choker around her neck with a charm in shape of the Greek letter Iota. Fitting. Her face was perfect as always, and she carried her heavy presence with her.  
"Hurry up, we need to leave." I scurried into the bathroom and went into the shower. I tried getting ready as fast as possible, and attempted to at least try looking like I deserve to stand next to her.  
I put on a black shirt and tucked it into some baggy high-wasted black pants. I put on a harness belt that also held weapons. I left as quick as possible.  
"Ready?"  
"Yeah." I put on some shoes while she put on her trench coat and we left.

Marco was waiting for us outside in his car. I sat in the back while the two of them were sitting at the front. I noticed a bag next to me, so I decided to open it and found it full of all kinds of weapons. From guns to knives and blunt objects, there was everything. An impressive collection, so to say.  
"So, where are we going?"  
"You'll see." Fine then. We spent the car ride in silence.  
Marco dropped us off outside a venue. Iota walked in without a word. I scurried after her. It was an empty banquet hall. It was pretty big, and there were no people around.  
"What are we doing here?"  
"Preparing for tonight."  
"..What's tonight?"  
"Our mission." Oh my god.  
She handed me some tiny microphones to place around the hall. I hid them to the best of my ability.  
"Here. Hide this in case of emergency." She handed me two knives and some bullets.  
"Spread them out."

I stuck the two knives underneath tables on the opposite sides of the hall, and hid the bullets in plant vases, behind picture frames etc.  
"Are you sure no one will see us?"  
"If I don't want anyone to see us, then no one will." That's reassuring. We continued preparing the place.  
I'll pick you up at 10 PM. wear something nice."  
"Like what?"  
"I don't know, a dress?"  
"I uh- I don't have a dress.." She looked at me nonchalantly, but I could tell she was a little bit confused.  
"...Fine. You can borrow one of mine. Why don't you just stay at mine while your at it."  
"Uh, sure."  
And we went to her place.

It had little to no security, and looked pretty basic. It was...just a normal apartment. I don't know what I expected. She led me to her closet. It was impressive. It had an outfit for every possible occasion. I was genuinely amazed. We spent a few hours trying on some dresses, but nothing clicked. Until Iota pulled out a red cocktail dress.  
I tried it on, and looked amazing.  
"It suits you."  
"Thanks."  
"You can keep it if you want."  
"Oh, no way. I can't just take your dress."  
"Don't worry about it. I have plenty more. I insist."  
"Thank you, Iota." We stared into each others eyes for a few seconds before continuing to fiddle with clothes. Time passed by quickly and it was already time to go.  
My final outfit was the red dress, matching stilettos and a necklace. It was simple, yet sexy.  
Iota wore a long black dress, draping on the floor. It blended in with her hair and heels. She had that mysterious appeal. We hid knives underneath our dresses, for the ultimate goal. I packed some sedatives in my bag in case of emergency.  
We added finishing touches and left.

While we were driving, Iota explained everything tonight.  
"We have two targets tonight. They're both nasty people. You have their profiles in the glove department. Anyway, we'll need to suck it up and seduce them, since we need to kill them in private. We'll stay in touch using earpieces. Abide the plan unless I say otherwise. I know they're ugly but we need to do this. I don't choose our targets, the clients do. You already know this. That's about it. This is our first mission together so don't mess up."  
I opened the glove department and took out the files. I took a brief look at them, memorizing their faces. I'm so nervous. I don't know why though, I've been doing this for two years now. I've been on countless similar missions, so why be afraid now? Is it because of Iota? Or something else? I'm all over the place.

We arrived shortly and split up at the entrance. I tracked down my target when he was alone.  
"Mind if I sit here?" He looked me up and down.  
"Not at all. So, what is a beautiful thing like you doing here all alone?" Ew.  
"I got invited by an acquaintance of mine, but I haven't seen him anywhere."  
"Mind if I be your company for tonight?"  
"If you insist." I smiled at him. I lied trough my teeth.  
We continued talking and he was drinking quite a lot. I scanned the hall and saw Iota. "Meet me in the bathroom." I heard trough my earpiece.  
"I'll be right back." I stood up and walked off. I felt his eyes on my ass. It was exceptionally disgusting. I left the venue and walked out into the hallway. I went into the bathroom and saw Iota waiting by the sink.  
"How's the mission going?"  
"Fine I guess. Yours?"  
"Same. I think we're about to move on the main part so be careful. Leave trough the back door. I'll be waiting for you."  
"Got it." We went back into the venue hall. 

As I was walking back to my seat, I noticed my target was no longer there. I kept looking around until I felt a pair of hands around my waist.  
"I'm right here, baby." I held back the urge to throw up.  
"I was looking for you." He started feeling me up. The stench of alcohol coming from his mouth was suffocating.  
"How about we take this somewhere more private?"  
"That's what I've been thinking." No I wasn't. He wrapped his musty hand around me and we left the venue. He lead me to a spare bedroom and locked the door behind him. I walked over and sat on the bed. 

He sat next to me and just stared at my cleavage. I slowly took off one strap off my dress, leaving it hanging. He put his hand on my shoulder, sliding it down my arm. He pulled the strap lower as he did. He exposed my breast and immediately went to touch. He was weirdly holding back, and I didn't have time to waste, so I took his hand into mine and placed it on my breast. He started massaging and kneading it. I had to force a moan. That clearly just turned him on more. He unzipped my dress from behind and took it off to the waist. He laid me down kissed me. He was the worst kisser and he had dog breath. Truly disgusting. He was being too slow, so I took matters into my own hands.  
I rolled on top of him and grabbed him by the tie. I took off his shirt and unbuckled his pants. He was feeling up my thighs and somehow missed the knife hanging from my thigh.  
He had the tiniest dick I've ever seen. When he was completely off guard I took the knife and stabbed him to death.  
When I was sure he was dead, I let out a sigh of relief. I'll need at least ten showers after this.

I went out the back door and saw Iota there with a cigarette in between her lips.\  
"Let's go home."


	4. Report

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What seemed a typical morning, turned into Signe's worst nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains descriptions of sexual intercourse. Read at your own discretion.

She blew cigar smoke into my face.  
"How did you do?"  
"I mean I killed the guy, if that's what you mean."  
"No one saw you?"  
"Of course not. I'm not that dumb."  
"Right. Of course. Anyway, we should leave as soon as possible." She dropped me off at my place and drove off home. I was tired, so I immediately went to bed. I fell asleep almost instantly. It was a weird, hazy sleep. I woke up tired and with a foggy mind. I brewed myself some coffee. I sat down on my couch and turned on the TV. It was a little bit of a surprise when I saw the news reporting on my last night's target. They usually cover it up, so media coverage was rare.  
[NEWS REPORTER]:"...Two men were killed last night at a private party. They were found stabbed to death in separate rooms away from the main event. Police found DNA on the scene but had no luck matching it to someone it the database. They did, however, find their prime suspect and believed culprit."  
I almost burnt myself with the coffee when I saw my face plastered on the news. How the fuck did they find me or my picture? I'm not supposed to exist anywhere, I'm just a puppet to the underworld! This makes no sense.  
I got even more scared when I saw a text from Iota. It said to come over to the main building right now. But I just couldn't take my eyes off the TV.  
[NEWS REPORTER]: "They do not, however, know who this person is. They do not exist anywhere. The only thing they have to go off of is this picture. If you have any information, contact the police."  
I stopped listening after that. This made no sense. Where did they get that picture and how do they know its me? My head hurt.

I threw on some mundane clothes and a hood and hurried over to the main building. As soon as I entered, I heard a familiar voice angrily yell into the phone.  
"You incompetent idiots! How could you let something like this happen!? It's your fucking job to erase our existences and you can't even do that. If you're gonna erase our humanity at least do it right." She hung up. When she saw me, she immediately ran over to me.  
"We're gonna go talk to Marcel."  
"Marcel?"  
"The Director. If I'm gonna complain I'm gonna complain to someone who listens." She dragged me by the arms and we went to the Directors office. She practically slammed the door open and waltzed in.  
"Iota! Haven't seen you in a while."  
"No shit, Marcel." I've never seen someone speak like that to the director.  
'What brings you here?"  
"Did you not see the news? Those incompetent mindless thickheaded morons didn't do their one and only job, to erase our fucking identities! Signe's face is being blasted on the news right now. Her DNA is everywhere, so as soon as they catch her, it's game over."  
"I understand. I'll do whatever I can. You two be careful."  
"Thank you." We left the office without a word. I'm impressed at how mad someone can be. I'm kind of touched.

"How did they even get my picture?"  
"I don't know. It has to be something personal, since no one technically knows you exist. As soon as I get a hold of the person who did this I swear to God the whole world will know what I did to them. I promise."  
"Why are you going so far for me?"  
"Because you're my subordinate and I can't let anything happen to you. I won't forgive myself if I do." I hugged her. She was shocked at first, but eased up and returned the hug.  
"Thank you, Iota."  
"What should we do?"  
"You ease off missions for now. Hide and stay low. We'll have regular training here. I need to keep you in shape."  
"I don't think my place is safe now, should I stay at the dorms?"  
"Hell no, dorms are nasty. My apartment is too small, so you can stay at Marco's place."  
"Are you sure? He's not here."  
"He will be." We walked back downstairs and Marco ran up to us.

"I came here as soon as possible. What's the situation."  
"Signe's safety is compromised, so I was thinking she could stay at your place."  
"Sure, I guess."  
"Please, keep her safe."  
"...I will. You can count on me."  
"Great, thank you. Signe, pack some of your stuff and go with Marco. I'll handle the rest here." Marco and I left the building and went to my apartment. I packed a bag only with the essentials and we left.

The drive to Marcos place was a bit long. We didn't talk much, so the ride was boring. His place was far more modern then Iota's and mine. It was recently built and much bigger. It was really nice.  
"Make yourself at home." He showed me the spare bedroom and around the house. I stuffed my stuff in the closet and went out to the living room. I saw Marco pouring us drinks. We sat on the couch and began talking.  
"How are you getting along with Iota?"  
"It's pretty good so far. I think she likes me."  
"That's good. Sometimes she can be a lot to handle, so I'm glad she has another person next to her." We talked for hours. Both about Iota and each other.  
[...]  
"How did you even get to know Iota?" He hesitated for a moment.  
"We met a long time ago. We were from different orphanages, but were at the same training grounds. Despite the chaos, we became friends. We helped each other handle everything and were inseparable since. Of course, we had our ups and downs, but it just helped strengthen our bond. I know her better than myself and I'd take a bullet for her, and If someone were to ever hurt her..."  
"That's insane. What's your favorite part of Iota?"  
"Favorite part...?" He got lost in thought. I subconsciously got closer to him out of curiosity. "...Her smell. She has this unique smell. It's sweet and sharp and..." He leaned in near my neck. "You smell like her."

He got even closer to my neck. He sniffed a little bit more. "It really is a nice smell." He proceeded to kiss my neck. I placed my hand on the back of his head, pulling him closer. His hand slid on the outside of my thigh. He continued to kiss and bite my neck, leaving marks. He pulled away and looked me in the eyes. His eyes were like honey melting under the sun. He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. Even his lips were sweet like honey. He sat me in his lap placed his hands on my hips. He deepened the kiss by inserting his tongue in my mouth. We made out for a little while before he pulled away. He started to take off my shirt.  
"Wait, we shouldn't do this." He gave me an innocent confused look.  
"Why not?" Exactly. Why not? It's not like I have a partner.  
"You're right. Continue." 

He took off my shirt and locked lips with me once again. I couldn't get enough of his taste. It literally was like honey. I melted right into it. He took off my pants as well. I noticed he hasn't taken off his clothes yet. I tugged him by the collar and climbed on top of him.  
"You don't want to ruin your clothes now, do you?" I felt his bulge grow under me while I unbuttoned his shirt. I traced my fingers along his defined muscles, giving him goosebumps. I unbuckled his pants and teased him trough his underwear. He was pissed that he wasn't in control. With a quick motion he switched our places and pinned my arms above my head with one hands. With one finger, he slid my underwear off. He used his belt to tie my hands up above my head. He grabbed my by the hips, sinking his fingers into my ass, and inserted himself inside me. He let me adjust to his size before continuing. He increased the speed mercilessly, hitting my g-spot every time. He at one point threw my legs over his shoulders. He loved seeing me quiver under him. He lived to hear me scream his name. Each moan of mine made him go faster and faster, until I was about to finish. He left me laying there with arms above my head and a mess down there. Just a little bit more is all I needed, and he knew that. He kissed me.  
"Good girl."  
We continued at this all night long. 

I woke up in his bed wrapped in his arms.  
What a mess.


	5. Ransacking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mood quickly shifts after the new update on Signe's case. A new plan is needed, quick.

We continued the morning, as if nothing happened. We had breakfast and everything. I couldn't help but sense his lingering smell stuck on my skin. It was strong, but pleasant. He never said it but it was expected of me to keep this a secret. First it was Iota, and now Marco. This isn't exactly what I expected when I became the underling of one of the most infamous assassins.   
The TV hasn't been on in a while. I was scared to even try and turn it on, but something pulled me to the remote. Marco was in a different room, so I thought it couldn't hurt for just a second. It's not like I wasn't allowed TV. As soon as I turned on the TV, I saw my face on the news.   
[NEWS REPORTER]: The believed culprit is still at large. She has been spotted on multiple CCTV cameras around the city and the police are trying to track her down. The most puzzling thing about this is that there are no records of this woman's existence. No family, friends, documents, records, anything. The police are still trying to track down the culprits residence, or wherever she's residing currently. Until then report any possible info to the police and stay safe.  
It cut to the ads.

I don't know what took over me. I was...afraid. I haven't felt fear in a while. I got used to everything to the point I became numb. But something about this whole thing just...scared me. I'm so used to living in the shadows, and this is the direct opposite. I'm being plastered into the spotlight for millions of people to see. The TV suddenly turned off.  
"Don't watch that crap." I heard Marco behind me.  
He leaned over the couch and nuzzled his head into my shoulder. He was warm and smelled good. I ruffled his hair. He sat next to me and wrapped his arm around me. I didn't know if I should go along with this. My feelings and thoughts were all over the place. One one hand, I really liked Iota, but on the other I liked Marco, but on the third I felt as if it was too early to know, and on the fourth I felt as if caring about this was stupid and that I had more pressing issues on hand. I was a complete mess.   
I snapped out of my thoughts when I got a notification. 

[NEW MESSAGE](Iota): Turn on the TV. Brace yourself first.   
I showed the text to Marco.  
"We should turn it on. It must be important." 

The TV broadcasted a live ransacking of my home.   
Oh for fucks sake. 

I got up immediately.   
"We have to go."  
"What? Where?"  
"Where do you think? I don't possess a lot of things, but what I do is in that goddamn apartment. And if you're not going to help me protect it, I'll go alone."   
"Wait! I'll come with, let me just call Iota first."   
But there was no need. 

Iota slammed the door open and marched in.  
"You know what were going to do."  
We both nodded and left Marcos apartment. Iota drove us to my apartment. There was a bag in the backseat full of firearms. I couldn't wait to kill those bastards.

"Marco, get the reporters out the way. Signe and I are going to take care of the police. We have one shot. Got it?"  
We both nodded.  
"Good. We're going in with covered faces. We can't risk getting tracked. I packed my bags and Signe will pack hers when we get to the apartment. You, Marco, after finishing up the reporters drive home and pack the essentials. Were running away."  
A chill went down my spine. We're...leaving? I didn't know what to think of this. I only knew I needed to do this right here, right now.

Iota parked a few meters away from the scene. There weren't many police officers keeping guard, so getting through wont be hard. The three of us masked our faces and fingerprints and went to the scene.  
Marco went first, shooting up the reporters, mostly aiming at the cameras. Iota and I who where behind him, split up and attacked the guarding officers. We cleared the outside fairly quickly, and the two of us went inside.   
There were cops everywhere. Going trough the little stuff that I had. I got so agitated. I shot anyone who crossed my eyes. Multiple times. I had to make sure they were dead. Signe checked the whole apartment for remaining cops while I packed my bags. I threw anything of sentimental value, clothes, money, drugs, whatever. I took anything that could lead back to me. The two of us completely cleared the apartment and left.

Outside though....  
There was a single reporter left. She didn't seem to fazed about the sea of corpses around her. She just kept talking about the situation with a nonchalant expression. She gave of the weirdest energy. I just stopped and stood there, staring. Just standing in the corner of the screen, with two bags and a gun in my hands.  
"Why hasn't Marco gotten rid of these two?" In only mere seconds, the two remaining reporters dropped dead on the cold cement.  
"Shoot the cameras a few more time to make sure the chip is gone." We split up around the scene and tried disposing of the evidence. Kind of. I mean, probably most of them were broadcasted live and are on the internet somewhere, but this is just a precautionary measure.   
As we were finishing up, we heard sirens in the distance.

"Fuck. Where the hell is Marco?"  
We hid behind the building and waited for Marco. The sirens became louder and louder. Suddenly, Iota got a text. It was from Marco and it said to climb to the roof of the tall office building down the block. We peeked from the corner and saw the building. On the roof, a helicopter was waiting. The two of us without a second thought began running towards the building.  
It was the only building close enough that had a helipad. And it was a good distance away from the scene, which just gave us extra time. It didn't take us long to get to the building, but the problem was getting to the roof. We didn't have time to climb from the inside, so the only option left was to climb from the outside. Problem is, how. I glanced over to Iota, who was strapping something around her waist.

"What's that?"  
"Just put it on." She handed me a belt-looking thing with a rope attached to it. I see where this is going. I strapped the belt around my waist.  
"You know what to do. Just hook it the highest possible and retract once you're over the hook. Repeat. Pretty simple." Simple my ass. I always hated this. Iota went first. She threw the hook pretty high and sprung into the air. She was clearly excited.   
I went after her. I threw the hook a little lower, but still high enough. I sprung into the air, the cold wind flowing through my hair. It felt...good. I felt free for the first time in a while. The two us climbed to the top quickly and met up with Marco.

"Where the fuck did you get a helicopter?"  
"At the dollar store. Let's go now."  
The three of us boarded the helicopter and flew off to the airport. 

Next stop: New York City


	6. New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio arrives to New York and meets an old acquaintance.

We arrived to New York later that afternoon. 

We arrived without much trouble, since our agency had international ties. We were housed in a nice penthouse apartment near the city center. It was mostly because of Iota and her ranking in the agency. I know damn well they wouldn't give me an apartment anywhere near as nice as this one. I don't know about Marco though. He never mentioned his ranking, or anything about his work life. Maybe I should ask him...  
We settled in relatively quickly and went out to drink. We weren't worried about our identities, because the American media was paid heavy hush money. They were paid to not report on my case or anything related to me. It felt like I was starting off fresh.

We entered a small pub from an alleyway. It was your typical underground pub with barely any people there. There was a single person sitting by the bar. The three of us sat near her and ordered drinks. The woman took one look at us and jumped from her seat, running towards the door. But Marco was faster. He knocked her down to the floor and held her arm in a position where he can break it any second.  
Iota stood up.  
"Let her go."  
Marco backed away and the woman stood up, scratching her head.  
"Sit down, Vanessa." Iota said with the fakest smile on her face. The woman hesitantly complied. She sat back down with a bitter expression on her face. The bartender served us drinks without any questions. What even is this place?

"I see Marco is still your lapdog?"  
"And I see your still whore-mouthed." The woman rolled her eyes.  
"Is this your new subordinate." She leaned in, uncomfortably close to my face. I kept my cool and didn't move away, just stared directly into her eyes. She had the prettiest amber eyes, with a hint of red under them. She had short dark auburn hair, which perfectly matched her eyes. She was overall very beautiful, but she didn't give me the best vibes.  
She carefully examined my face, not pulling away an inch.  
"You're cute. What's your name?"  
"Signe."  
"What a pretty name... I'm Vanessa." She shook my hand with fake enthusiasm.  
"Leave her alone, Vanessa."  
"Fine." She sat back. "Well, is she better than me? Be honest."  
"By miles. You gotta leave the past in the past, Vass."  
"Don't fucking call me that." She quickly got mad, but Iota didn't even look her way. What happened between these two?

"Why not, Vass? It's a really cute nickname." She stood up.  
"I said to not call me that."  
"Iota." She looked towards me, purposefully avoiding glancing at Vanessa. "Stop it. Please." She stared at me for a few seconds, before her eyes softened.  
"Fine."  
"Thank you."  
"So she already got you wrapped around her pinky, huh Iota?"  
"You shut up as well. You're giving me a headache." Vanessa looked so offended. 

She grabbed my collar and pulled me close to her face.  
"I don't know who you think you are, but don't talk to me like I'm below you." I just laughed at her.  
"But you are below me." I kicked her over my head and she landed on the wooden floor with a loud thud. I placed my foot on her chest before she could get up.  
"Learn your place, dog." I shoved my foot higher, kicking her chin up.  
"Leave it, Signe. She's not worth it." I gave her one last kick to the chin before leaving her alone. I don't know what possessed me to do this, but it did.  
"Let's just go." The three of us left the pub.  
We can't even have one nice night out.

At the apartment there were conveniently only two rooms, so we decided that I'll share the room with Iota. The two of us got ready for bed and laid together.  
"What even happened with Vanessa."  
"It's a long story. Basically she was my subordinate a few years ago and we had a huge falling out. She betrayed me and I got mad so I did something I still regret to this day and..." "Relax. It's fine. You don't have to speak about it if it makes you uncomfortable." She subconsciously inched closer to me. I don't think she even noticed. I took the opportunity to hug her. She eased into my arms and put her head on my chest. She fell asleep like that and I followed soon after. I don't think I've ever slept better. 

[NEXT MORNING]  
"I'm gonna go on an errand run. I'll be back in around an hour."  
"Okay. Did you bring everything?"  
"Yeah. See you two later." Iota left the apartment.  
A moment of silence followed.  
"Did Iota leave?" I heard Marco from the hallway."  
"Yeah." He came into the living room and sat next to me on the couch.

"Finally. I can have you all to myself."  
Before I could even respond, he kissed me. Memories of the other night started flooding in. It quickly turned into a make-out session. He took off my pants and his hands quickly got to work. He rubbed my clitoris through my underwear, which were already wet. He sat me on top of him and he put his penis inside of me. He was already going insanely fast. We both finished quickly and cleaned ourselves up, we couldn't risk getting caught by Iota. I still couldn't sort my feelings out, so I just pushed them aside and indulged into both worlds. It wasn't a good decision, but I honestly couldn't process anything at the moment. 

Iota got back sometime after and called the three of us to the living room.  
"As you know the American representative of our agency is in New York. Well, were going to go there."  
"Why?"  
"Someone from comms informed me of a new lead."


	7. New Lead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An employee shares a new lead, giving us a possible suspect. Later that night Iota and Signe embark on a mission that further spreads the lead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains graphic descriptions of violence. Read at your own discretion.

We immediately went to the HQ.  
It was much smaller than the one back home, but it looked more modern. Once we entered, an employee lead us to the Communications room. There we met up with a guy who called Iota. The three of us sat down around his computer and he started explaining.   
"Okay, so the reason I've called you three here is because I believe I found the source of the anonymous tip. It took extensive hacking to dig it up, but I did. It came from a payphone in 36th street, which doesn't seem like a lot, but inside the booth is a camera. And I managed to get footage." He turned around and played the video. It was low quality and quite blurry, but what could you expect from a phone booth camera. The person in the video appeared female, around average height with brown-ish hair. That's what I could tell with the video.   
"I sent the video to a different department and it should be cleared up after that. When I get a clear picture of the person I'll try and dig up all possible information on them."  
"Okay, thank you." Iota practically ran out of the room. She was clearly upset. I ran after her. 

"Hey, wait up!" She reluctantly stopped. "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing. I just- I think I know who the person is. But I don't want to say anything without concrete proof."  
"Obviously it's someone you know. Someone you know very well. I can tell that just by your reaction." She looked a little bit surprised.  
"Well aren't you intelligent? I thought I masked it enough... Anyway, this is off topic but you and me are going on a mission tonight."  
"Despite the situation?"  
"We're in New York. No one knows you here. We have incredible influence in America, especially here in New York. Don't worry." She put her hands on my shoulder and gave me a reassuring look.   
I smiled at her.  
"Thanks."  
We headed home after that.

We spent the day mostly lounging around and doing nothing. Since my mission outfit got ruined in the ransacking, the agency provided me a new one. It was different from the old one but it was still nice.  
It was a black jumpsuit with white on the side, almost mimicking a corset. Other than that, it had a belt that branched into thigh and chest straps. It was easy to utilize in a mission, so I didn't complain about it. I put on a trench coat and headed out.  
Iota was already in the car, waiting. She wore her usual outfit with her coat covering her completely, and looked stunning. As usual. I sighed and sat in the passenger seat.   
"We have to kidnap two people tonight. It wont be easy, but our mission is to get the two of them knocked out, tied up somewhere, make them talk and kill them. It boils down to that."  
"Seems pretty simple."  
"Seems. These two aren't your ordinary couple. They work for the opposing agency and have been heavily involved in the recent hijacking of our systems and attack on some other employees. It is our job to make them talk. Find out what they know and who they work for, you know? Problem is, they're quite high up. Not the highest, but still high. Which means they're definitely trained to fight. So prepare for retaliation. We have one chance at this."  
That last sentence made me even more nervous. But, it wasn't my first mission going against someone possibly equal to me. 

We parked a few streets away and hid in an alleyway. We were tracking their location, and by what the comms people told us, they always go through this alleyway. We hid in the shadows and patiently waited.

"...Right, and then I had to re-do the paperwork because Samantha misspoke. I honestly can't believe people are that careless." Damn Samantha. The woman speaking suddenly came to a halt.  
"It smells rotten here." She started analyzing the alleyway.  
"You're overreacting." The man spoke.  
"No, there is something wrong here..." She came closer to where Iota was hiding. Iota gave me the green light.   
I quickly snuck out behind the man and held him in a chokehold. He had a surprisingly strong grip, but I managed to inject him with the sleeping drug. The woman turned around at the sudden noise and that's when Iota jumped her. She held her whole body with one arm and injected her with the other. They were both asleep now. We began tying up and gagging them.  
"You said this was going to be hard?"  
"A perfectly timed surprise attack never fails."   
We packed the two of them in the car and left.

We drove off to some old warehouse that our agency used to store weapons in. We tied them to some chairs and prepared all the torture devices. I haven't tortured anyone in a while. This is gonna be fun.  
They woke up soon after and immediately tried to escape. Iota came up to the man and snuffed her cigarette into his forehead, making him yell.  
"Oh shut up. It's not that bad."  
"Well you get kidnapped and get burned by a cigarette!"  
"You think I didn't?" She prepared pliers.

"Are you gonna talk or should I make you?"  
"Like hell I'm gonna talk."  
"Wrong answer." She pried his mouth open and pulled a tooth out with pliers. Blood spilled down his jaw and on her hand.  
"You can start talking whenever you want. I'm not in a hurry." She rubbed his lip with her thumb, showing fake admiration on her face.   
"Fine! I'll talk." The woman finally spoke up.  
"Amy, you don't have to..."  
"Oh, Amy, dear, aren't you a hero? Saving your friend here from torture. How admirable!" The sarcasm was practically rolling off her tongue. She left the man alone and turned her attention towards Amy.

"What do you want to know?"  
"Your full identities, who you work for and everything you know about the attack on DOTB."  
"Oh. I see what his is about. Well, I'm Amy Davis and this is David Moreno. We work for the opposing agency and were put in charge of leading the attack. The point of the attack was to stop your communication system so that all connections are sabotaged and we can steal drugs, weapons and information without hassle. But since your security was stronger than expected, we had to restore to a physical attack. It ended up a failure because we didn't manage to steal anything, just deal temporary damage to your agency."  
"You've been very helpful. Thanks, I guess. Is that all you know?"  
"Yes. Are you going to let us go now?" Iota laughed.  
"No." She shot Amy in the head. David screamed in agony.  
"Shut up or you're next." 

He tried to stay quiet.   
"Do you know anything else?"  
"I told you I'm not going to speak."  
"This guy is hopeless. Signe, take it from here." She moved away from David and I stepped up.  
"The lapdog is going to torture me? How scary." I kicked him between the legs with all my might. His yell echoed trough the warehouse.  
"Stay quiet, dog." I grabbed the pliers Iota was just holding. "Are you gonna speak yet?"  
"I already told you, bitch." I plied one nail off. "You're pretty confident for someone in your position. He kept yelling.  
"For every time you say no to my question, I pull one nail off. Got it?" He nodded through the tears.  
"Good. Are you going to speak now?" He nodded. "Finally." I put the pliers aside.

"Continue off what Amy said."  
"Well all of what she said was true, but she didn't say everything. We did steal information. Not a lot, but a fair amount. We also targeted specific employees who worked in communications and system security. We also, um, sold your information to the anonymous tipper." I hit him with the plier.  
"Who is the tipper."  
"I don't know. They were anonymous trough and trough. They also paid A LOT of money for your information. It was extremely well protected so we couldn't provide a lot, but we got a picture and address."  
"What about the information that you stole? Where is it held now?"   
"I have a copy on a flash drive in my pocket."  
"Does it exist anywhere else?"  
"Only on my laptop. It's in the bag." I glanced over where we piled their stuff.  
"Fine. I'll take the flash drive. Move a millimeter and I'll kill you." He completely tensed up while I searched his pockets. And, he wasn't lying. There really was a flash drive. I gave it to Iota to check if the info really was on there.

"Is that all you know?"  
"Yes, I swear!" I hummed. The two of us waited in silence as Iota checked the flash drive.  
[...]  
[...]  
"The flash drive is legit."   
"Good. I have no use for you anymore." I cut off his begging my shooting him in the head. We packed up their stuff in the car and cleaned up the scene.

"What are we going to do when we find out who leaked my info" I spoke up out of no where.  
"What do you mean? Kill them, of course."  
"Why are you going so far for me"  
"Because I l-" She stopped mid sentence, her face painted with realization. "B-because you're my subordinate, and my job is to support and help you."  
I hummed. We finished up and left. 

When we came back, Marco was already asleep. We quietly got ready for bed and closed the door to our bedroom.  
The faint smell of blood and iron filled my senses as I drifted off to sleep.


	8. The Culprit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The video has been cleared up and its someone all too familiar to Iota.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains descriptions of drug usage and sexual acts.  
> Read at your own discretion.

Our seemingly normal morning was interrupted by a message sent to Iota's phone. 

Me and Marco we're eating breakfast when Iota came running from our room. Without a word, she placed her phone on the table. It displayed a familiar picture.  
"This is-"  
"From the video!" Marco and I jumped from our seats. Iota had a sickly expression on her face. It was a mix of disgust and sadness.   
"Did they find out who it is?"   
"There's no need." She walked off to get ready.  
"W-wait! You know who this is?" She looked at Marco before continuing to get dressed.   
"That's Jessica Moore. She's Iota's ex partner. They were both work partners and in a relationship. Moore was really toxic towards her and so after a few years they broke up. There's obviously more to the story, but that's it in a nutshell."  
"So a salty ex.."  
"More than that. She was literally psychotic. I know she moved somewhere after our fallout, but I didn't know it was New York."  
"So we're doing this right here, right now?"  
"When else?" Me and Marco got dressing up. We prepared all possible weapons and plans. We had one shot at this. We're all involved and there's no coming back. We got everything and left.

Marco parked near the pub we were in just a few days ago.   
"Moore!" Iota yelled as she knocked the door down. The door flew down the stairs and she waltzed in. There was a single person in the pub.  
Jessica.  
Iota came up to her and lifted her up by the collar. Moore's legs were dangling in the air. It was clear who was more dominant. Moore was far shorter than Iota, but nothing about her seemed weak. She had the same brownish hair from the video and the deepest blue eyes. She had a petite figure, with her muscles barely defined. Still, she gave of the vibe that she could kill me anytime. They wouldn't put a weakling next to Iota.   
She had a smirk on her face, like she was looking at us from above. It made me irritated for some reason. 

"Look who it is. Dimitriadis! Haven't seen you in a while." Being held by the collar clearly didn't bother her. "Oh and Mercier! How have you been?"  
"Shut up. You know damn well why we're here."   
"I sure do." She freed herself from Iota's grip and jumped back.   
"Why the fuck did you do all this? If you wanted to get back at me you shouldn't involve anyone else."  
"It's not fun that way!" Iota punched a huge hole in the wall.  
"Stop acting stupid. You're making me sick." Moore suddenly got serious.   
"Whatever. The damage is done. Even if you kill me, nothing will change. You're too late." I shiver ran down my spine. The truth hit me like a truck.   
"What you did still goes against agency policy. You'll be executed either way."   
"Then do it. Execute me."

I swiftly pulled the handgun from my belt and shot her in the leg. I managed to take her by surprise. In that moment Iota came up behind her and hit her in the back of the head. She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.  
"A perfectly timed surprise attack never fails." Iota looked up at me and smiled. I wasn't disingenuous like it often was. It was a pure, genuine smile. I smiled back at her. It made this situation a bit more bearable. Though, I could feel Marco's eyes on me. My feelings we're still conflicted. Iota tied up Moore and we left.

"What are we gonna do with her?"  
"Well since we can't do much, we'll drop her off at the headquarters and let them deal with her."  
"That's it?"  
"Thanks to your surprise attack, we beat her much quicker than expected." I hummed and sat back into the seat. The rest of the ride was quiet.   
We left Moore at the agency and they said they'll conduct a thorough investigation. Marco left for a solo mission and Iota and I went back home.

"Iota?"  
"Hm?"  
"Can we talk?"  
She head a dreadful look on her face but complied anyways.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Well...this has been bothering me for some time now, and since I have no one else to tell but you..."  
"Spit it out."  
"Look. I like you. A lot. But I think I also like Marco and-"  
"Calm down. I get it. But there is no place for love here. I learned that the hard way. So, frankly, I don't care what you do with your love life, as long as it doesn't involve me." She had a pained expression on her face. She got up and left.   
And what did my petty ass do? Text Marco. We're going out tonight after he comes back. He said it wouldn't take long so I started getting ready. I took a shower, did my hair and make up and put on the nicest dress I had. It was a tight, short black dress. I had fishnets and matching stilettos under. I put my black coat over it and prepared to leave, when I heard Iota behind me.

"Where are you going?"  
"Oh, just going out with Marco."  
"Mm. You look good."  
"Thank you."  
"Just be careful."  
"I will." We stared into each others eyes before I left. Outside, Marco was waiting for me in his car. I sat in the passenger seat and we drove off.

He brought me to a sketchy club. There was loud music playing, women in erotic clothing walking around and people smoking crack.  
"What kind of place is this?"  
"Place for people like us. Everyone here is a reject from society. A nobody." I nodded.  
We sat to the side and ordered drinks.  
"Why did you bring me here?"  
"I haven't been here since my last visit to New York, and I wanted to bring you along." He smiled at me. It made me feel better. Truth is, I'm no stranger to these kinds of places, I just haven't been to one in a while.  
The woman who brought us drinks was wearing barely anything. I couldn't say I was complaining. Along with the drinks, she brought us a small bag filled with white powder.  
"On the house." She winked at us and left. I took my drink and leaned back. I really should relax. Whatever I ordered was really strong. It brought back memories. 

"Wanna share?" He pointed at the bag. I nodded. No one in this field was a stranger to drugs. It was a form of escapism. Marco separated the coke in thin lines and gave me a $20 bill.  
"Cheers." He said before snorting in the powder. I followed suit. I didn't do coke for a few years, so it took me a second to get used to it. After drinking some more, Marco invited me to dance.  
There wasn't really a designated dance floor, just a mush of people dancing in one spot. We joined them. Marco was a surprisingly good dancer. We danced trough a number of songs, feeling each other up along the way. Neither me or Marco were high, so we were pretty aware of our surroundings. Maybe more than we should've. We noticed a sleezy guy kept harassing a girl so we decided to intervene.   
"Leave me alone already!" The woman pushed the guy away.  
"Just a touch." I held his hand before he could even come near her.  
"She said to leave her alone. Are you deaf?" He tried to shake off my grip but couldn't. I motioned to Marco to escort the woman somewhere safe. I turned my attention back to the guy.  
"This is none of your business! Let me go this instant."  
"I could break your arm right this instant if I wanted to. Behave yourself, pig." I pushed his arm back. He went past me and grabbed my ass. I was never this mad. In no time I knocked him to the floor and had his arm up.  
"I fucking told you to behave." I said before breaking his arm. He scream loud enough for some people to hear over the music.   
"I'll break your legs too if you don't leave right this instant." He nodded profusely. He basically ran out. I dusted my hands and went back to where Marco and I were sitting. I saw the woman he escorted there as well. He gave me a look of relief as soon as he saw me.   
"I just wanted to thank you for saving me back there!"  
"Oh...it's nothing." She gave me a hug before running off.

I sat back with Marco.   
"God, she was annoying. Thank god you're back." He leaned in and kissed me.  
"How about we ditch this place?" He proposed.  
"Sure." He called over a waitress to bring the bill.   
The waitress who came wore a black latex bodysuit with fishnets, stilettos and bunny ears. To top it all off, she had a tail too. I kept staring for a little too long. She giggled and took my hand into hers and placed it on her breast. I was taken aback. She was just smiling while I stared like an idiot. She sat in my lap with her legs to the side and her breasts in my face. I was still speechless. She placed my hands on her ass while hers were roaming around my body. Marco got up and grabbed my hand, hard. he pulled me out from under the woman.  
"Leaving so soon?" I couldn't say anything as Marco dragged me out. He practically shoved me in the back seat and aggressively kissed me. He bit my lip and sucked on my tongue. He was never this aggressive. He unbuckled his pants and slid my dress off. He kissed me after seeing what underwear I wore.  
"You're mine and mine only. Understood?"  
"Y-yes." I moaned out as he slid in me. He grabbed my hips and sunk his fingers into my ass. This helped him go faster and faster. We didn't go for long since we had to go back home. 

We quietly snuck back in and went off to sleep.


	9. What now?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The question is finally asked.

"What are we gonna do now?"  
The question was finally brought up. We were having breakfast when Marco suddenly asked the question. In truth, none of us knew. We caught the culprit, or what we came here for. So...what now?  
The silence was uncomfortable. The three of us knew that we didn't know what to do next. Do we come back home? Or stay here?   
"I guess we'll continue life as normal. However normal you can even call this." Iota finally spoke up. It's the answer we all expected, but...is that really it? Was all of this...just to end like this? I mean, wasn't that the goal from the beginning?   
To bring our abnormal lives back to normal?

Whatever.  
We just continued eating breakfast. To be fair, does it really matter? If we stay here, we continue as normal. If we go back home, more or less we continue as normal. If we die, we just get erased from the database. Nothing changes. Nothing matters.  
It's all the same anyway.

Iota was going on an errand run again. I decided to join her. I noticed Marco side-eyeing me, but I ignored it. I think I've finally realized what I want.  
Iota and I first went to the grocery store, then the bakery, and then... we just walked around the city. We looked at pretty clothes and jewelry, joking about the prices. It seemed...normal. Too normal.  
What even is normal? I think it's something subjective. That there isn't a defined "norm" nor should there be one. What I might consider normal, someone else might not.   
It's really stupid.   
"Hey! Earth to Signe!" I snapped back into reality.  
Oh right. I was in a coffee shop with Iota. 

"Is that your real name?"  
"Hm?"  
"Iota, I mean. Is it your real name?"  
"Oh...No. Of course not. It's like a code name I guess. When I was younger, I desperately wanted to detach myself from my childhood and roots. The first thing that came to mind was using a Greek letter. I wanted at least something to remind me where I'm from, no matter how desperately I wanted to detach myself from it. I'm fully Greek, and were immigrants. That's at least what I was told. The only thing I have left from them is my name. Zephyra Dimitriadis."  
"That's a really pretty name."  
"Thanks." She hummed. "I don't know why I wanted to get rid of it so bad. It's really special to me now." She gave me a pure smile. I couldn't help but smile back. She looked angelic while smiling. 

"Anyway, we should get going now."  
"Oh, right." We paid and left.  
It wasn't anything special, but It meant a lot to me. Moments like these with Zephyra were rare and I wanted to treasure them.  
Her and Marco were very different.  
They both clearly longed for love, but expressed it in different ways. Marco for example, shows it with overwhelming love and possessiveness, high sex drive but he still clearly cared. He was afraid of loosing me, since he knew that he'd have to go back to the state where he was before he met me.  
And Zephyra...she's afraid of loving. She has been clearly hurt in the past, and now she is scared of opening her heat again. Instead, she closes herself off and hides behind a wall. She can be cold and seemingly uncaring, but under all that her love is pure and held back by past trauma.  
...I really have to stop psychoanalyzing people. 

We came home and dropped off the groceries. As soon as Marco saw me, he dragged me outside the apartment and into the hallway.   
"How do you feel about Iota. Be honest." I stayed quiet for a while.  
"I like her, a lot." He already had pain in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Marco. I like you too but I think I like her more."  
"Of course you do, I don't blame you. It's just...I really thought we were gonna be a thing." Tears were forming on the corners of his eyes. My heart felt like it was tearing apart.  
I hugged him tightly.  
"I'm so so so sorry Marco. I still love you." He melted into the hug.  
"No, no don't be sorry. Be with who you love. I fully support you."  
"Thank you so much. You're an amazing person, Marco" I hugged him again. Time felt like it stopped. It felt nice, the hug I mean. It was all warm and fuzzy.  
I pulled away and wiped Marco's tears.  
"Come on, let's go back." We went back into the apartment and pretended like nothing happened.

I tried to ignore the situation and focus on a new opportunity.  
Zephyra.   
I gathered up the courage to ask her out tonight. Thankfully, she complied. The two of us got ready and left. We went to watch a movie.  
It was a pretty trashy movie, but with Zephyra it didn't matter. While we were watching the movie, I slowly took her hand into mine. She turned to me with a surprised expression on her face. But it melted into a smile when she realized what was going on. I took the golden opportunity. I leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and slow. I didn't want to hurry with these thing when it came to Zephyra. I wanted her to feel completely comfortable.  
She melted into the sweet kiss. When she pulled away she had a slight blush on her cheeks. She didn't say anything, just gripped my hand tighter and turned back to the movie. It made me feel all fuzzy.  
It was great.  
We left the cinema hand in hand. But, of course, some fuck had to ruin it all. 

While we were walking home, some fat fuck catcalled us on the street.  
"Can I watch?" He laughed.  
The two of us stopped in our tracks. We came back to where he was standing. We were both far taller and more intimidating than him. He was visibly nervous.   
"You can watch us beat the shit out of you." Zephyra said as he punched him in the throat. I took the opportunity while he was hunched over to knee-kick him in the stomach. He collapsed to the floor. Zephyra and I kicked him in the balls in unison.  
We left him like that in the middle of the street. A few people looked our way, but most minded their business. As they should.

The rest of the walk home was peaceful.  
When we came back we saw Marco on the couch. He gave us a smile. It was a sad, but genuine smile. I smiled back at him.   
"How did it go?"  
"Pretty good I'd say." The two of us giggled.

It really was a special day.


	10. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How everything ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains descriptions of drug usage and overdosing; Mentions of rape and abuse
> 
> READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

It has been 3 years since the incident.

Everything has gone back to normal. We're still in New York and are doing our job as usual. It's going better than ever actually. Me and Marco have been promoted a few times and Zephyra reached the top of the ranks. I admire her a lot.

Zephyra has taught me a lot of things. From face-to-face combat to killing techniques, I've improved a lot. And I'm more proud of my work. I'm less sloppy and more consistent and overall a better assassin. 

Me and Marco are on really good terms and are really good friends. We talk and go out frequently. We get along really well. The three of us are inseparable.

Life is overall better than ever and I'm grateful for everything.

....Is what I would like to say.

In reality, the aftermath wasn't as nice as I just said.  
It was much much much worse.

A few months after that day I was coming back home from a solo mission. It was late and the only person home was Marco. I knew he also was on a mission so I called out for him.  
Silence.  
"Maybe he is asleep." I thought to myself. I took off my shoes and left my stuff in my room. I looked around the apartment and didn't see Marco anywhere. Last place I checked was his room. Again, empty. Something caught my eye though. I saw light emitting from the bathroom door. Oh! That makes sense. I knocked on the door, but got no response. There was no noise coming from the other side. The whole apartment was dead silent. It made me uneasy.  
"I'm coming in!" I said as I opened the door.  
What I saw on the other side was horrifying.

I saw Marco laying on the bathroom floor with his forearm filled with tiny holes, some of them bleeding. I saw a few syringes around him, a lighter, a spoon and a black bag on the sink. His mouth was slightly ajar and his hair was covering his eyes. He was sickly pale.  
Everything immediately made sense to me.  
I was shaking like crazy. I collapsed onto my knees and screamed. I screamed horrifyingly loud. My ears were ringing. My vision was blurry. Everything hurt. I felt so weak. So helpless.  
Once I composed myself, I called the ambulance. The blaring sirens just worsened the situation. They escorted him out on a stretcher and I sat in the van with him. I couldn't let go. I had to know with my own two eyes that he was still here.

At the hospital, they told me that he was in a coma, but that his condition was stable. I decided to call Zephyra.  
"I-I'm at the h-hospital. M-Marco overdosed..." I kept choking onto my sobs. She didn't say anything, just hung up. I tried calling and texting her numerous times but she never responded.

Her whereabouts are still unknown.

After that, my missions became extremely careless and sloppy. I left obvious evidence and didn't try to hide my identity or anything. This obviously lead to my inevitable arrest. A whole swat team came to the apartment. I guess rumors spread.  
I didn't resist arrest and pled guilty to all my charges. I just wanted to get out of there. That cold, quiet miserable apartment. I hated being there alone. I cried constantly. It hurt just to be in there. So I did everything just to distract myself.

The agency bribed the police with a lot of money to not look into my case too much. They risked revealing their true nature so they didn't go all out. The police being corrupt as they are, gladly took the money and charged me with only 15 murders they had solid evidence for. I got a life sentence in prison. It didn't bother me at all. There was no purpose of being out anymore.  
Not without them. 

It has been three years since my trial.  
Prison has treated me well, mostly. Majority of the inmates know my background so they keep their distance. I'm not friends with anyone particularly, but I sometime talk with people. I've gotten a few tattoo's and piercings. I looked much different. I dyed my hair white and cut it to shoulder length. I completely changed my appearance. I don't know why, but I did. I've also became a lot paler. One thing that hasn't changed is my body. I stayed muscular and in shape. I regularly practice at the prison gym. I also don't know why, I guess it makes me feel better.

Other than that, I have a few prison stories.  
So one of the first days, people still didn't know who I was. So interactions were...fun. 

[FIRST WEEK; LUNCH]  
"What they got you in for?" I guy said as he sat down next to me. I was still new, so I didn't expect anyone to sit next to me. He was a tall, large black man who had a gentle smile on his face. He looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly.  
"15 murders."  
"Shit!" He said as he flinched. "The fuck you did."  
"Long story short, I'm an assassin."  
"Right, I'm leaving."  
"Oh don't worry. I kill for money. I won't hurt you unless you give me a reason to." He analyzed me for a second before sitting back down.  
"What about you? Why did they lock you up."  
"Saw me jogging at night and thought I was stealing or some shit."  
"Racist pigs..."  
We continued to talk normally. He was a really nice guy. 

It was all going nice until some guy from the table behind us opened his filthy mouth.  
"Ayo, Bonnie! Are you finally gonna rape a bitch?" He and his "friends" beside him laughed obnoxiously.  
I climbed up on the table and threw some food at him.  
"Eat this, fuckass!"  
I jumped from the other end of the table and kicked him in his stupid face. The whole cafeteria was silent.  
"Say some shit like that one more time. I dare you." I spat in his face. You could hear some low "ooo's" from around the cafeteria. I ignored them and sat back.  
"Damn."  
"Why don't you stand up for yourself?"  
"I tried. Didn't work."  
"Then keep trying. Fake it 'till you make it" 

After that, a lot more people started talking to me, and staying away from me. Mostly women started coming up to me. I see that I wasn't that guy's first victim. All in all there were 5 people in my little prison "squad". Three girls and two guys. Plus me, of course.  
Bonnie and Mike were cellmates, so Bonnie introduced us. Mike was a tall Vietnamese guy. He was charged for assaulting a police officer and tax evasion. He was a chill guy down to do anything. He always had a some new story to tell.  
One of the three girls was my cellmate, Alyssa. She was a Peruvian-American girl with dark hair and olive eyes. She was charged for killing her boyfriend after he raped and abused her. Of course, the court didn't take that into consideration and locked her up. She was a nice girl and confident girl who had the perfect clap back for anything. She was completely in control of her emotions to the point that it was scary. You could provoke her to no end and she wouldn't bat an eye. But if she needed a specific emotion for something she could "turn it on" in a second. She was honestly fascinating.  
The other two girls were a set of identical twins. They had blond hair and blue eyes. They were always perfectly in sync. Their names were Maria and Olivia. They were charged for drug distribution. I'd never take them as plugs to be honest.

And that's pretty much it for my current prison life.

I've also kept contact with outside sources. They'd call once in a while and report on whatever's going on outside.  
The most recent call was more than intriguing. They said that out of nowhere, Zephyra showed up at the agency building. She was asking around for me and what prison I was in. I don't know what to make of this, but something's happening, and it's happening soon.


End file.
